University Leaders Address Race & Diversity After Viral Post

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FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- A viral post prompted University of Arkansas leaders to host a town hall meeting Monday night (March 12) where they and students discussed race and diversity on campus.

A former student posted a picture of himself on Snapchat, which shows him with a black face. Underneath his photo was the caption, "I hope this offends someone". In the background hung a banner that advertises for the hit movie, Black Panther. The post went viral and caused a lot of concern.

The student left campus before facing any consequences.

Sophomore Kandyse Flanagan said, "With that whole black face thing going on, I wanted to see what the campus had to say for itself."

University Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz said the post was saddening.

"I thought our education can never be enough. It can never be deep enough and so I was saddend by it," Steinmetz explained.

Students who attended the town hall asked university leaders how they will curtail chances of this happening again.

"I'm hoping that what happened on this campus... will never happen again here on this campus," Student Tiana Williams said.

Flanagan added, "These things are still happening and they still can happen... I just want everyone to realize we are trying to make a change here."